Memory problems

I have made the ultimate parkrun mistake. I turned up without my barcode.

Actually, that’s not quite true; I did have my barcode. It was still in the back pocket of my shorts. My shorts that had recently been through the washing machine. They were going to have a bit of trouble scanning that pulpy mess.

Oh dear. At least I can still time myself. The starting whistle sounds and I press the Start button. But what do I see?

Oh no! I was going to have to run naked.

At least, I thought that was what running without gadgets was called. A quick Google search turned up a slightly different set of search results so, Mrs Running Buffet, if you’re reading, I can fully explain that internet search history. Honestly, I can. Look, here’s a link to facebook where they legitimately use the phrase “run naked” and there is not a single naked buttock in sight.

Moving swiftly on.

So did it matter that I ran without knowing my time? That my parkrun count will forever be one short of its true number? Of course not. The most important thing about Saturday’s parkrun was that there was cake that I was there and running. Plus, there was cake. This was Parke’s first birthday and their largest-ever crowd had turned out to celebrate, bringing with them an array of cupcakes. Who doesn’t love a run that ends with a free cupcake?

Not only that, as this photo from the Parke parkrun flickr stream shows, there was also an Easter chicken in attendance. With no egg in sight, we finally had the answer to that age-old question: the chicken came first.